Genesis (Mega Drive) – Retro Game Buyer

The SEGA Genesis (also referred to as the "Mega Drive" in other regions outside of North America) was originally known as the Nintendo alternative when it launched in the late '80s, but the console is fondly remembered as much more today thanks to an incredible lineup of classic games. The must-have games that defined the SEGA Genesis are iconic, featuring some of the most memorable video game characters of all time. And the must-play Genesis games span various genres – from exciting action-platformers to lengthy, story-driven RPGs. In other words, these are the first games any Genesis owner should consider. Please note that this list will only include one game from a given franchise, but we will add any relevant entries (i.e. prequels, sequels, etc.) too, so make sure to look out for the “Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise” section under select titles. The 15 Must-Have SEGA Genesis Games That Defined The Console: 1. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Genre: PlatformereBay: See Pricing Description: "Super Speed! Sonic's back and better than ever. He's a blur in blue! A blaze of action! With his new Super Spin Dash. And a new, fabulous friend, 'Tails' the Fox. You won't believe it 'til you see it. And when you play, you won't stop. Super Play! Defy gravity in hair-raising loop-de-loops. Grab Power Sneakers and race like lightning through the mazes. Dash in a dizzying whirl across corkscrew speedway. Bounce like a pinball through the bumpers and springs of the amazing Zones. All at break-neck speed! Super Power! Sonic's attitude is can-do. The mad scientist Dr. Robotnik is planning a world takeover. Sonic gets tough in the fight to save his friends and squash Robotnik for good!" Why It’s A Must-Have: If the Genesis was seen as a Nintendo alternative, than Sonic is basically SEGA's Mario. The entire series is all pretty even in terms of quality, but the second entry is arguably the best - and Sonic & Knuckles features one of the console's best multiplayer experiences. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles 2. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Genre: FightingeBay: See Pricing Description: "The fight of your life... Enter the world of ULTIMATE Mortal Kombat 3 and discover what awaits you... 23 immediately playable fighters and 2 bosses. Meet up with some old adversaries. Think you know them? Guess again. They've got new combos, fatalities, brutalities, and babalities and they're looking for you! There's also a few dudes playing their own version of hide and seek - find 'em if you can! Battle against the computer, opt for 2-on-2 fighting, or try out the very cool 8-fighter Tournament mode! Dazzling graphics, incredible sound and motion-capture technology produce the most realistic battles you'll ever fight!" Why It’s A Must-Have: When it comes to the best multiplayer games on the SEGA Genesis, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is easily one of the best games to grab. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II 3. Phantasy Star IV Genre: Turn-Based RPGeBay: See Pricing Description: "Launch into the biggest RPG ever on Genesis! This is the explosive magic-and-monster packed finale to the incredible Phantasy Star saga. An ancient, hideous Dark Force stalks the Algol star system. You, a young hunter, are destined to become Motavia's greatest warrior and strike the death-blow that destroys evil forever!" Why It’s A Must-Have: There is no better RPG on the Genesis than Phantasy Star IV – easily one of the first games to consider when picking up a Genesis/Mega Drive. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Phantasy Star II, Phantasy Star III 4. Streets Of Rage II Genre: Beat 'em UpeBay: See Pricing Description: "Original rumblers Axel and Blaze slam the asphalt with bigger, better, totally devastating attacks! Skull-crushing ex-wrestler Max Thunder joins up with earth-shattering body slams and spinning fist attacks. New thrasher Skate slices punks with high-speed in-line skate attacks and spinning jump kicks. Go maniac with jaw-shattering, bone-busting punches, head-cracking jump kicks, and secret weapons. Gangs of dirt bikers dive into you from every side. Smash 'em with a pipe as they speed by. 16 gigantic megs of compound fractures! All-new moves, and more of 'em! Bust knuckles with a friend in an all-new 2-player head-to-head mode!" Why It’s A Must-Have: The SEGA Genesis featured a lot of great games in the beat 'em up genre, but the Streets of Rage franchise stands as probably the best of the bunch. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Streets Of Rage 5. Super Street Fighter II Genre: FightingeBay: See Pricing Description: "It's Super Street Fighter II! Featuring four all-new fighters and 16 challengers in total! New moves with improved animation. Time Challenge, Score Challenge, and Tournament battle modes. Loaded with 40 megs of fighting power!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Street Fighter II made its way to many consoles over the years, but the Genesis is one of the best places to experience this classic outside of the arcade. 6. X-Men 2: Clone Wars Genre: Beat 'em UpeBay: See Pricing Description: "The X-Men engage in a battle so world-threatening, even Magneto switches sides! Mutantkind races to the edge of oblivion at the hands of an evil techno-bio cloning organism... the Phalanx! Be Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Beast, Psylocke and for the first time ever... play as Magneto! X-Men are at their fiercest with Cyclops' optic blast, Wolverine's slashing adamantium claws and Gambit's hyper-charged cards! Use each mutant's super-powered attack to defend the world!" Why It’s A Must-Have: X-Men 2: Clone Wars is an excellent beat 'em up starring the cast of the classic comic franchise - and it features an excellent multiplayer experience. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: X-Men 7. ToeJam & Earl Genre: Action / Dungeon CrawlereBay: See Pricing Description: "Check it out... We're ToeJam and Earl. And we ran into a small problem. More specifically, a large planet (I shoulda never let Earl drive... ). Help us hunt down the pieces to our rocket ship and we'll let you jam out some tunes on our megawatt rapmaster. Deal? WHOAH!! We're bumpin' into some of the weirdest creatures in the universe: Earthlings. Boogie down with bewitching hula girls. Block a nerd herd. Or hurl tomatoes at a crazed dentist with a drill. Split up and scope things out. Or hang together to share your stuff. Pick up presents you can use - like wings, rocket skates, and inner tubes. Or ones you'll wish you hadn't opened - like bees, tomato rain, and school books. So grab a friend - or join the jamminest party you'll ever play!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Few games have the same personality of ToeJam & Earl. It's legitimately charming, funny, and allows for up to two players for some great co-op gameplay. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: ToeJam & Earl In Panic On Funkotron 8. Shining Force II Genre: Tactical RPGeBay: See Pricing Description: “In the eerie Cave of the Past, a mischievous thief tampers with the mystical Stones of Light and Dark. The Stones once imprisoned the Evil of All Ages. Now the deadly Zeon is unleashed. His rage will hurl the galaxy into eternal darkness – unless the Shining Force can stop him! The legendary epic resumes with an entirely new story, awesome cinematic battle sequences, and incredible monsters! Build an awesome 12-member strike force from over 20 characters and develop them into fiercer, stronger, more magical warriors!” Why It’s A Must-Have: If you're looking for great RPGs on the Genesis, the Shining series is a great franchise to consider after Phantasy Star. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Shining Force, Shining In The Darkness 9. Gunstar Heroes Genre: Run & GuneBay: See Pricing Description: "With the military detained and the planet in serious peril, two brothers vow to find and destroy the evil power that now threatens Gunstar 9. If they succeed they shall go down in history as Gunstar Heroes! If they fail... Gunstar 9 shall perish. Explosive 2-player action. Race through impossible mine shafts at mind-numbing speed! Do battle with incredible mechanical menaces! Hang from ledges, shoot in 360 degrees and body slam the mindless minions!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Gunstar Heroes is a rare timeless classic that plays about as well today as it did decades ago. 10. Golden Axe Genre: Beat 'em UpeBay: See Pricing Description: "In Turtle Village, the children are fleeing for their lives! The invaders are brutal, ugly, and 12 feet tall, with huge arms and bellowing laughs. They love pounding you into the dirt! It's a spellbinding age of magic, fire-spewing dragons, and skeletons in armor! Fight on the back of a giant turtle! Battle on the wings of an enchanted eagle! Vanquish and ride flame-breathing monsters to victory!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Golden Axe is a yet another great beat 'em up for the console - but this time with a fantasy setting. Grab a friend, and these games are great time. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Golden Axe II 11. Wonder Boy In Monster World Genre: Action-Adventure / RPGeBay: See Pricing Description: "Townsfolk cower in fear as legions of deadly monsters invade the planet. Only Wonder Boy can fight smart enough - and tough enough - to wipe out the terrible beasts. Sleuth out secret clues to thwart the undead. Match wits against an evil force of otherworldly dimensions. And prove the awesome strength and courage of the amazing Wonder Boy!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Ahead of its time, Wonder Boy in Monster World is arguably the best action-adventure game on the console - and it also has some fantastic RPG elements. 12. Contra: Hard Corps Genre: Run & GuneBay: See Pricing Description: "Kickin' cyborg butt... That's what it's all about, dude. Jack into this game of genetic engineering gone bad. Real bad. It's five years after the mother of all wars ended - and things still aren't right. Your job is to fix it. The ever-popular Contra series makes its SEGA Genesis debut with a pulse-pounding new storyline." Why It’s A Must-Have: When it comes to action on the Genesis/Mega Drive, Contra: Hard Corps is second to none. 13. Vectorman Genre: PlatformereBay: See Pricing Description: "By the year 2049, Earth has been turned into a toxic waste dump! Humankind has fled into space leaving behind an army of mechanized 'Orbots' to clean up the mess! But when the Orbot leader, WarHead, goes haywire and starts a robot revolt, only a lonely sludge barge pilot named Vectorman can pull the plug! Vectorman can morph! Change into a speeding train, a power drill, mechanical fish, or a dune buggy gone berserk. Overthrow the Orbots with awesome weapon power-ups like Shockwave, Bolo, and Orb. The best graphics yet on Genesis! Eye-popping 3D effects and silky smooth animation!' Why It’s A Must-Have: Vectorman looks different than just about everything else on the console, but it's not just visuals that set this game apart. After Sonic, this is the next best platformer series on the Genesis, and arguably one of the best games available for the console. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: Vectorman 2 14. Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master Genre: PlatformereBay: See Pricing Description: "The Shinobi master of stealth and the lethal ninja arts is back, bigger and deadlier than ever! Joe Musashi's sworn enemy, the Neo Zeed, grips the city in a vicious crime ring. Shadow Master, a super ninja cloned from Joe's own bloodline, controls the Zeed's savage army of bio-ninja. Musashi has no choice but to annihilate them all!" Why It’s A Must-Have: The controls are tight, and the clean art style still looks good after all these years. If you're looking for a great platformer to get into (after Sonic that is), the Shinobi series is a good place to start. Other Must-Have Games In The Franchise: The Revenge Of Shinobi, Shadow Dancer: The Secret Of Shinobi 15. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Genre: Beat 'em UpeBay: See Pricing Description: "It's Morphin Time! Five ordinary teens morph into the Power Rangers to foil the plans of the Evil Empress Rita Repulsa and save planet Earth. Choose your favorite Power Ranger color – Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink or Black! Battle huge, fierce and spectacular enemies! Even the Green Ranger and the fearsome Dragonzord! Sharpen your 'Zord Play' in eight awesome difficulty levels!" Why It’s A Must-Have: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is probably one of the most accessible beat 'em ups on the console. It's not as difficult as the X-Men games but the different character options offer replay value – which is good because this game is a bit on the short side. Honorable Mentions Those are our picks for the must-have, defining games, but there are plenty of other classic Genesis/Mega Drive titles that are worth considering. Here are a handful of additional recommendations – if interested, click the links to see pricing at eBay: Ecco The DolphinJurassic ParkWorld Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck While this list features dozens of fantastic titles, there are still plenty of great experiences to be had on the console. If we left off any of your favorite games, make sure to shout them out in the comment section and let us know why they’re worth checking out.